Wiki
Clear explanations of key terms around e-commerce, software development and artificial intelligence.
- Adobe CommerceAdobe Commerce is the commercial, licence-based version of the Magento platform, featuring native B2B functionality, a page builder and integration with the Adobe Experience Cloud. This article explains the range of features, the GMV-based pricing model, cloud versus on-premises operation, and how it differs from Magento Open Source and Shopware.
- Agentic WorkflowAn agentic workflow lets an AI agent plan and call tools within clear guardrails — building blocks, patterns and when it's worth it.
- Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)The optimisation of content and data so that it appears as a source in direct responses from answer engines such as ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews or Featured Snippets.
- App Store Optimisation (ASO)App Store Optimisation (ASO) makes apps visible in the App Store and turns visitors into installs. Visibility and conversion explained.
- Cancellation buttonFrom 19 June 2026 (§ 356a BGB), the cancellation button will be mandatory for online shops – a two-step button that allows consumers to cancel contracts with just a few clicks.
- Composable CommerceAn e-commerce architecture approach in which the platform is composed of interchangeable best-of-breed building blocks that are connected via APIs.
- EAV model (Entity-Attribute-Value)The EAV (Entity-Attribute-Value) model is Magento’s flexible but fragmented product data model — and the reason why a migration to Shopware requires data mapping.
- ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)Centralised business software that bundles core processes such as merchandise management, purchasing, finance and production in one system.
- Generative AIGenerative AI creates new content — text, images, audio, code — instead of just classifying it. How it works, SME use cases and its limits.
- Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)Optimising content so that generative AI systems cite it as a source and incorporate it into their answers.
- Google AI ModeThe dialogue-oriented, AI-supported version of Google search that generates answers directly on the results page.
- GPTBotGPTBot is OpenAI's web crawler that captures publicly accessible websites to collect training data for the GPT models. Operators control access via robots.txt - or block it unintentionally via firewall and WAF.
- Gross Merchandise Value (GMV)Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) is the total trading volume processed via an e-commerce platform or marketplace over a given period. This article explains how it is calculated, how it differs from turnover, its role as a basis for calculating licence fees (e.g. for Adobe Commerce and Shopware) and common misconceptions.
- Headless CommerceAn e-commerce approach in which the front end (the storefront) is decoupled from the commerce back end and connected via APIs.
- HydrationHydration is the process by which static HTML delivered from the server is made interactive in the browser using JavaScript, thereby transforming a fully rendered page into a usable application.
- Large Language Model (LLM)A Large Language Model is an AI model that has been trained on vast amounts of text and understands and generates language by predicting the most likely next word.
- llms.txtA proposed Markdown index at the domain root that tells language models which website content should be processed in machine-readable form.
- Machine learning (ML)Machine learning lets software learn patterns from data instead of coded rules. Learning types, the ML project lifecycle and use cases.
- Magento Open SourceMagento Open Source is the free, self-hosted, PHP-based e-commerce platform from the Adobe ecosystem. This article explains its architecture, cost structure, B2B limitations, support timeline and how it compares strategically with Adobe Commerce and Shopware.
- Minimum Viable Product (MVP)The simplest functional version of a product that is sufficient to test the main assumption with real users.
- PromptA prompt is the input you give an AI model. Structure, prompt types and a before-and-after example turn vague instructions into results.
- ReplatformingReplatforming refers to the process of migrating an existing online shop or digital platform to a new technical system. This article explains the reasons for replatforming, the process involved, typical risks (extensions, custom code, redirects), the timeframe, and how it differs from migration and replatform.
- REST-APIREST is the de facto standard for web APIs: resource-oriented, stateless and built on HTTP. We explain the principles, methods, status codes and when REST is the right choice.
- Shopware B2B ComponentsThe Shopware B2B Components are the modular successor to the B2B Suite: six modules that can be activated individually for digital business-to-business commerce.
- Single-page application (SPA)A Single Page Application (SPA) is a web application that loads just a single HTML page and dynamically reloads all further content using JavaScript, without having to completely reload the page.
- SpecificationsIn German IT projects, requirements are split across two documents: the Lastenheft (client's requirements specification) and the Pflichtenheft (contractor's functional specification).
- Store APIThe Shopware 6 client-side REST interface — the foundation of every decoupled (headless) Shopware front end.
- Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)The total costs of a system over its entire life cycle - not only the purchase price, but also operation, maintenance and follow-up costs.
- Type SafetyType safety means that a programming language or tool detects errors caused by incorrect data types before execution, rather than allowing them to occur at runtime for the user.
- Vendor lock-inVendor lock-in describes the economic and technical dependency on a single provider, which makes switching expensive and time-consuming. How it arises and how you can limit it pragmatically.
- Vibe CodingVibe coding refers to the creation of software by describing the goal to an AI in natural language and adopting the generated code largely unchecked. Fast for prototypes, risky for production systems.
- VoicebotA voicebot understands spoken language in real time and answers calls – an overview of its definition, how it works, its uses, costs and the GDPR.